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Poor Clare Nuns

by Filed Under: Nuns, Pilgrimage, Poor Clare Nuns, Religious Orders, St. Clare of Assisi, Vocations

We strive to live in continual and joyful penance, imitating Christ’s emptying of Himself and making more evident our love of God and neighbor. ~ Poor Clare Nuns of Los Altos

The Immaculate Heart Monastery of the Poor Claresmonastery JOY

Our last visit here was seven years ago.  Rose was only 8 years old at the time and Sparkles was months old.  Rose was deeply touched by the lives of these faithful sisters.  In fact,  one day, several weeks after the visit, we found Rose sleeping on her bedroom floor.  Turns out, she had been sleeping on the floor since our visit to the Monastery.  She recalls it being her Lenten sacrifice. 

Clare from her cloister proclaimed to the world what life was really all about. In the bull giving approbation to her Rule on August 9, 1253, Pope Innocent IV wrote:
"Because you, beloved daughters in Christ, have held the pomps and pleasures of the world of no account and, following the footprints of Christ himself and of his most holy Mother, have chosen to live enclosed in body and to serve the Lord in highest poverty so that with mind unencumbered you may be servants of the Lord, we, approving in the Lord your holy way of life, with fatherly affection do gladly desire to grant benevolent support to your requests and holy desires."

st mary magdalene relic visitWe were able to visit the Poor Clare’s portress after we venerated St. Mary Magdalene’s relic.  The children enjoyed this special time with the ever joyful nun, Sr. Margret Mary.  She spoke to us from behind her screen.

Why do you speak through a screen in the parlor?
A. Because of our vow of enclosure, which of its nature seeks to express its reality in signs. And this also explains the low brick walls and ivy-covered fencing which surround our property. That is, we are perfectly content to remain on our monastery grounds for the love of God because, as our loved Mother Mary Francis has written, "God is enough, and everything else is not enough."

Sparkles shared our family with her and wrote down our names for prayers.  Sweetie sought special prayers since her name sake is St. Clare of Assisi.  Papi shared his enthusiasm and Dragonfly attempted to jump through the grille into Sr. Margret Mary’s arms.  The children left their coloring pages as a reminder to the nuns that little ones will be praying for them.

God is everything for us.
God is life. God is power.
God is truth. God is goodness
God is beauty. And, in the end,
God is our happiness.
ALLELUIA!

~Pope Paul VI

RESOURCES:

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We were also able to visit with sisters from Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará.

The name “Servants” (Servidoras) is a reference to (a) the faithful women who stood at the foot of the cross (Luke 8: 1-3) and (b) the term used by St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort in his True Devotion, 56.

The second part of the name, “of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará” (del Señor y la Virgen de Matará) refers to the Crucified Christ and His Blessed Mother as found on the Cross of Matará worn by the sisters, since Jesus on His Cross and the Virgin Mary must be the foundations of our spirituality.

Sister Incarnation told us her vocation story.  She had us all laughing with he self proclaimed humility.  Rose was drawn to her down-to-earth personality.

Dragonfly took a special liking to all the nuns this special day.

papi and sister incarnation He went straight for Sr. Incarnation and enjoyed her crucifix, Cross of Matara.

~~~

May we all find our way to the foot of the cross during this blessed time of year, Lent.

Pax Christi,

Little Flowers 5th Meeting – Joy/Mirthfulness & St. Clare of Assisi

by Filed Under: Joy, Little Flowers, St. Clare of Assisi

JOY~MIRTHFULNESS
August 12
Born: July, 1194 – Died: August, 1253

 

Patron of: clairvoyance, eye disease, goldsmiths, laundry, embroidiers, gilders, good weather, needleworkers, telephones, telegraphs, television

Be very joyful and glad, filled with a remarkable happiness and a spiritual joy! [Progress] from good to better, from virtue to virtue, so that He Whom You serve with the total desire of Your soul may bestow on You the reward for which You so long. (Blessing of St. Clare, 21, 32)

Meeting Activities
Memory Verse
St. Clare Coloring Page
Embroidery Pattern
Orange Tulips
Joyful Coloring Page – Print page 4-4
Joyful Music  – #6 on Virtue Activity Page
Info on the Poor Clares – the order that St. Clare founded

Biography
Catholic Culture
Saints & Angels
EWTN
American Catholic
Domestic-Church
Women of Faith & Family


Audio & Video Resources
Homily: Feast of St. Clare
Video St. Clare of Assisi – Bob & Penny Lord
Audio St. Clare of Assisi – Bob & Penny Lord

Prayers
St. Clare’s Litany of the Sacred Wounds
Novena to St. Clare of Assisi:
Dear St. Clare, as a young girl you imitated your mother’s love for the poor of your native Assisi. Inspired by the preaching of St. Francis, who sang enthusiastically of His Lord Jesus and Lady Poverty, you gave your life to Jesus at nineteen years of age, allowing St. Francis to cut off your beautiful hair and invest you with the Franciscan habit. All through your life you offered your great suffering for your Sisters, the Poor Clares, and the conversion of souls. You greatly aided St. Francis with his new order, carrying on his spirit in the Franciscans after his death. Most of all you had a deep love of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, which fueled your vocation to love and care for the poor. Please pray for me (mention your request) that I will seek to keep Jesus as my first love, as you did. Help me to grow in love of the Blessed Sacrament, to care for the poor, and to offer my whole life to God. Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of St. Clare. Through her intercession, please hear and answer my prayer, in the name of Jesus Your Son. Amen.
Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth without fear, for he who created you has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Blessed be you, my God, for having created me.  – Saint Clare of Assisi

Quotes of St. Clare of Assisi

“Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance of glory! And transform your entire being into the image of the Godhead Itself through contemplation.”

“He Christ is the splendor of eternal glory, “the brightness of eternal light, and the mirror without cloud.”

“Gaze upon Him, consider Him, contemplate Him, as you desire to imitate Him.”

“I come, O Lord, unto Thy sanctuary to see the life and food of my soul. As I hope in Thee, O Lord, inspire me with that confidence which brings me to Thy holy mountain. Permit me, Divine Jesus, to come closer to Thee, that my whole soul may do homage to the greatness of Thy majesty; that my heart, with its tenderest affections, may acknowledge Thine infinite love; that my memory may dwell on the admirable mysteries here renewed every day, and that the sacrifice of my whole being may accompany Thine.”

“Totally love Him, Who gave Himself totally for your love.”

Embroidery ~ St. Clare Dolls

by Filed Under: Crafts, Little Flowers, St. Clare of Assisi

Embroidery ~ St. Clare Dolls
St. Clare is the patron saint of embroiders.
This was the craft chosen for Little Flowers ~ Saint Clare of Assisi and the virtue of Joy-Mirthfulness.
 SUPPLIES:
  • Crochet Thread (weight 5-10) – thicker than embroidery thread and does not require unraveling as does embroidery floss.  I doubled the crochet thread for the Little Flowers to avoid the need for re-threading.   (Embroidery thread (ET) was used for small areas)
          dark brown – tunic 
          black – veil
          nude – face, nose, hands, feet (St. Clare of Assisi never wore shoes or socks)
          gold – halo, monstrance    
          white – wimple (starched white part of the veil)
          green/blue/brown (ET) – eyes
          pink (ET) – mouth
STEPS:
          Place printed sheet under fabric
         Trace image onto fabric with a water soluble fabric pen
  • Place fabric w/ image into an oval embroidery hoop
  • Embroider using the running stitch
Running Stitch—This stitch is used for outline and padding. The needle is carried in and out of material making small up and down even stitches. Take several stitches on needle before drawing it through.
 
Embroidery Links

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